Finding North without a Compass

Deane demonstrates a simple technique for finding compass directions without a compass.

[edge]

Only during the Spring and Autumn equinox will you be able to find true North this way. Any other time of the year the sun will be slightly skewed from West when setting.

[Lightkie]

Just received the DVD bundle, did not expect it to get to Germany so fast from the other side of the planet! Deane, don't wear yourself out writing the addresses per hand, get yourself a printer. 😅

[Cadcare]

Related to the twist at the end, I had a hard time convincing my German Structural Engineering colleagues that their drawings were reflected. “Mr Grant, we draw looking up!” Yeah, but I don’t work on the ceiling. Grüß Gott! 😊

[sanjeen]

None of my mates understands north and south when I say, "today's let's go to the McD north of our building". They'd rather hear 'market side' or 'office side'

[michaelkeller]

i remember my army-basic, the instructor barked "march directly to the north" - all the others fumbled with the compass, me looking "where's the sun" orientated myself towards north and walked off... i was always top of the needle, drove the instructor crazy, he wanted to see me using the compas... so i had to do a little extra-round, but it was worth the fun ;)

[mce_AU]

Try it on your directionally challenged friends.

[royksk]

A note of pedantry: the sun only rises exactly in the East and sets in the West, twice each year on Spring and Autumn exuinoxes.

[hicknopunk]

Step 1: look
Step 2: determine east and west
Step 3: navigate

Seriously, it is so easy to know north by just looking at the terrain and remembering it from before...

Don't get me started on how someone could not know this in a city.

[michealbohmer]

I don't know the name of the lady that sang the theme, but she has a tremendous voice. And, boy, can she hit that high note!! Wonderful!

[fenhen]

“Wait until the Sun goes down” is terrible advice! 😢

[HarveyHirdHarmonics]

As a child I learned that the mossy side of trees points north (in the northern hemisphere), because it's never directly lit up by the sun.

[msamour]

Kinda weird because where I live, the sun doesn't always set at the same place depending on the time of year. The sun sets between ssw, and nnw depending on the season.

[polygonalmasonary]

Mum…..screaming, ‘Who’s glued coloured paper on the ceiling?? 😡’, 😮😮😮

[thequeryqueen]

Thankyou for sharing this. Very useful info.

[doritobob]

I still have my compass taped on my bedroom ceiling!

[Ozmodiar]

The upside down compass will also be correct when earth’s magnetic poles eventually flip

[CaspianT]

Trees are also an excellent way of finding N/S/E/W, as the south-facing branches will be more horizontal than the north-facing branches. Think about how it maximizes photosynthesis efficiency; having too many branches on the north side is no good, but having none there at all is also no good, so it sends the north branches more vertically. The south facing branches are also going to be bushier, as more sun necessitates more leaves there, but also the tree sends them fairly horizontal to, again, maximize efficiency as best it can.

Moss is fairly iffy for direction, as it's important to read natural clues in-context. An evergreen like spruce or pine or cedar, amidst other pines and spruces in a densely packed group, will of course have moss on almost every side! However, a tall birch or smoother-barked tree standing alone will require the moss to be more in-line with the solar cycle; no deeply grooved bark to hold water, no constant shade preventing evaporation, so the moss needs to cling to the wetter north side of the tree to survive.

Granted, this specifically applies to the northern hemisphere, the inverse is true for the southern hemisphere. The ideal conditions for all that I said would of course be anywhere south of the Tropic of Capricorn and north of the Tropic of Cancer.

[garyv]

what if I don't want to wait until the sun goes down?

[royksk]

My favourite folding ends up as a water bomb. I once made one, filled it with water and dropped it from a top landing to hit the floor next to someone. I miss judged it and hit him straight onto his head - great result with the paper draped over his head and a good soaking 🤪

[TrapperAaron]

What about plasma! Forgotten 4th state of matter